Speed skater Jon Eley has admitted that it will be an honour to follow in the footsteps of greatness when he carries the Team GB flag at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The Nottingham-born short track racer will lead out the Great Britain representatives in Russia at the Games' opening ceremony on Friday.
Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Steve Redgrave and Eley's hero Wilf O'Reilly are among the previous Team GB Olympic flag bearers, and the 29-year-old is humbled to be in such illustrious company.
"We've got a fantastic team of 56 athletes and to be the first man through the door with the flag, it will be a very special feeling," Eley told reporters.
"I remember watching Sir Chris Hoy carry the flag at London 2012 and I can't wait to be able to do it myself and it will be a big highlight of my career. I remember seeing how much it meant to him, how emotional he was. For someone who had achieved so much, that shows it's a big moment in an athlete's career.
"I'm the second short track speed skater to carry the flag after Wilf O'Reilly. He was a hero to me, he was from my hometown and hopefully I can do as well as he did in 1988. It will be my third opening ceremony and I've marched behind Rhona Howie and Shelley Rudman, who have both won Olympic medals. Hopefully I can emulate them here."
Eley finished fifth and sixth in the 500m sprint at the 2006 and 2010 Games respectively.
